Reflections on the contemporary church, culture, Christian philosophy and doctrine.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Civility about The Da Vinci Code

The wide range of responses to “The Da Vinci Code” movie continue to proliferate. Organizations representing South Korean Christians and others in SE Asia plan not only protests, but hunger strikes and attempts to thwart the screening of the movie.

So far, I like John Leo’s take on the whole thing. In his latest column, he notes both sides of the debate:

Tom Hanks thinks Christians shouldn't become irate about "The Da Vinci Code." He says it's just a story, "loaded with all sorts of hooey and fun kind of scavenger-hunt-type nonsense." He's right, but so is an official of the Christian Council of Korea, who said, "'The Da Vinci Code' is a movie which belittles and tries to destroy Christianity."

In the end, Leo argues for civility and rationality to take the day instead of censorship and prejudicial finger pointing.

It is good to hear Tom Hanks say that, and of course, he is right on. The problem is too many people are blinded by whatever epistemological failings or prejudicial opinions about Catholicism to see that truth. There are too many anecdotes of believers rejecting their faith because of this book, and of non-believers assuming the book validates all their worst hunches about Christianity to ignore.

I would love some help with this little conundrum. If the Church history and art history in The Da Vinci Code are such easily exposed frauds, why do so many people take them as truth?

If anyone is persuaded to doubt their faith because of the Da Vinci Code, then what can be said of their faith? We tend to go through life and collect our evidences in our shopping carts. Anyone who wants to believe that there is a conspiracy by Opus Dei to hide the "truth" that Jesus had a child by Mary Magdalene will not be persuaded by Gospel testimony to the contrary. Nor will the truly faithful be impaired by either the book or the movie. The damage done Dan Brown's pseudo-gospel is that people who don't particularly want to believe will add this to their shopping cart and use it as a foil in an argument with a believer.